Opera Renovation Gets Tax Credit

Members asked the state of Missouri to help and Gov. Blunt announced last week the theater is one of six projects that can use special tax credits to raise money. When eligible donors contribute to the renovation, they get back up to half of their donation as a tax credit. CPI also used the process on projects such as the library and the old Post Office.

"CPI has been recognized as one of the model groups that has raised tax credits for funding community betterment projects," Drummond said.

The community already has helped raise the money for the project's first phase. Now, CPI hopes more people take advantage of the tax breaks to give the Finke-Ritz theater a $165,000 encore. The group hopes to reopen it by 2009.